A Tale Of Friends year 1
by SithxKitty
Summary: This story is about 4 friends who have found themselves being accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This story takes place several year after Harry Potter and his friends were there, but alot happens to this group. Read and find out what
1. Chapter 1

Year 1

Chapter 1

It was a sunny day in Chapel Hill, North Carolina when several young friends all received acceptance letters to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Mind you, this establishment was in Britain and these kids were in the United States. As soon as they brought the letters into their rooms they called each other. Mary, Ruthie, Maashes, and Conor all sat in on a group call. Mary said, "Oh my god! I'm so excited you guys. Like, you have no idea!" Conor, always the skeptic said, "I don't know, this doesn't seem like a particularly feasible idea. You realize that we're thousands of miles away from this school." Ruthie sighed and said, "I didn't think about that…How are we going to get to… (refers to the letter) Kings Cross Station?" Maashes laughed, he said, "Mary and I are Muggle-borns, Ruthie is half-blood, her mother is a witch, and Conor is a pure blood. So I expect his parents can get him there. But we're going to have to take regular transportation." Conor said, "Yeah, I forgot they can use side-along apparition. We'll I've got my passage set up. See you guys." He then hung up, leaving the other three to worry about their travel plans.

So after talking a bit about spells, the remaining three hung up and went off to tell their parents about Hogwarts. Ruthie's parents were shocked and amazed, but they decided she needed a bit of freedom so they agreed to take on a flight to Britain. Mary's parents were completely against the idea of her going away, but they gave in when they found out how useful having a witch in the family could be, they allowed her to go with Ruthie on the flight. Maashes' parents though, were unrelenting. They said 'No' over and over again. Eventually his mother gave in, saying if it was really what he wanted but his father would not budge. In despair, he called his friends. Conor picked up first, "Hey" he said. Maashes then launched into his explanation about his travel issues. Conor scratched his round face and said, "Well you could always come with us. Mom can apparate with both of us at the same time." Maashes jumped at the idea and went to tell his parents, they reluctantly agreed, saying that maybe some time to themselves would do them good, so they let him go.

The last few weeks of August passed quickly for the four friends, they chatted of then about what classes they would take and what houses they would be in. All of them hoped not to be in Slytherin, except Conor who didn't think it was an issue. On August 30th, they all left Chapel Hill, NC for London. Mary, Ruthie, and Ruthie's parents all flew on Delta Airlines while Maashes and Conor prepared to apparate with Conor's mother. While in their sitting room, Conor's mother explained apparition to the boys. She said, "Now Apparating is difficult to pull off over long distances, so we will have to do it three times. It's kind of uncomfortable but you get used to it after awhile. Now while we do it, you two must hold onto my arms as tightly as possible." She stood up, her black robes swishing. She said, "Well, ready boys?" They nodded eagerly and looked at each other excitedly. They grabbed onto her arms and she raised her wand and turned on the spot. Both boys yelled as they felt the sensation of being unable to breathe and under a lot of pressure. They could not see anything in the blackness but then, they appeared on a cruise ship in the grey Atlantic Ocean.

The boys spluttered and complained about the feeling of Apparating. Conor's mother said, "I told you its' a little uncomfortable, but you'll get used to it. Only two more times now. Ready boys?" They nodded and clasped her arms. Again she spun on the spot but this time the boys were prepared, they just closed their eyes and soon they were standing on another boat, where they could see the thin outline of the British coast in the distance. Conor's mom surveyed her passengers. When they gave her nods of readiness the spun again, and again they closed their eyes to the suffocation and pressure and then they were standing on a crowded street in London. The two boys looked about in wonder, they had never been outside of the U.S. before and they wanted to go everywhere. Conor said, "Dude! Look at that enormous clock tower!" Maashes said, "I think that's Big Ben, but I'm not sure." Conor's mom said, "You two still need to get your school supplies. I have your trunks here and I got all of your books mailed. Yes, Maashes I got yours too. And so you need robes, wands, and maybe owls." Conor said, "I don't see any places around here that look like they sell wands." Conor's mother smiled and said, "Of course not, this is a Muggle city. We have to go to Diagon Alley."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ten minutes later Conor's mom, Maashes, and Conor walked into a run down old pub called the Leaky Cauldron. They briefly greeted Tom, the ancient bartender and walked out of the back. The boys were surprised to see Mary and Ruthie already standing there, trying to get through. Conor laughed and said, "So how long have you two been standing here?" Ruthie said, "Maybe like 5 minutes, Mary's parents left but not before they gave us money. I don't know if our money works here." Conor's mom said, "It doesn't but I've got plenty of gold to help all of you." She walked up to the walk and tapped certain bricks in an orderly way. Suddenly, to the amazement of the group of friends, the bricks began to shift and soon there was an archway where the wall once stood. The four burst out into the sunshine and stood amazed at the sight. Off in the distance they could see an enormous white marble building with 'Gringotts' in gold lettering. Near them they saw 'Eyelops Owl Emporium' and Ollivander's Wand shop. Upon spotting the latter shop the kids all begged to go into it. Conor's mother agreed and they entered, the door jingling as they walked. Upon entering they noticed that there was another boy there, he was quite chubby and had brown hair and blue eyes. After a minute they recognized him. Ruthie screamed, "Ross!" The chubby boy looked up and smiled. He said, "Hey guys! Conor, Ruthie, Mary, Maashes. You guys got accepted to Hogwarts too? That's awesome! I just bought a wand 13 inches, pine and phoenix feather." The other's wowed at this news and waved Ross goodbye as he left the shop with his mother and father. They friends jostled to see who would be first to the counter and it ended up ordered as such: Conor, Maashes, Ruthie, and then Mary. Conor walked up and tapped the bell on the counter, he waited and then an old man rolled into sight on a ladder.

Conor said, "Are you Ollivander?" The old man nodded and stepped down. He had silver eyes but they we're bright with happiness. He said, "You must be a new student at Hogwarts. Here for your first wand. Come, let me get your measurements. He pulled out a tape measure and it started measuring Conor's arm lengths by itself. When it was done Ollivander looked at it and said, "Hmm…How about…" He whisked away and came back holding a thin box. He took out the wand and gave it to Conor. He said, "11 inches blackthorn, with a dragon heartstring core. Give it a wave!" Conor waved the wand around and flower petals burst out of the end. Everybody clapped and Ollivander took the wand and put it back in its box, then giving it to Conor's mother. Next, he measured Maashes and again, disappeared behind the high shelves in his shop. He returned with another box, took out the wand and handed it to Maashes. He said, "13 inches, maple, with a phoenix feather core." Maashes waved the wand as Conor had done and green sparks showered everybody. Again, people clapped and the wand was repackaged and handed to Conor's mother. Ruthie stepped up to the counter next, after getting her measurements, Ollivander returned with another box and said, "Hmm…This one may be tricky. Here, try this. 12 inches, Oak, with a unicorn hair core." Ruthie took the wand and twirled it. Several white birds flew out of the end and around the shop and disappeared in puffs of white smoke. Everybody cheered and laughed and again the wand was given to Conor's mother. Finally, it was Mary's turn. She stepped up and Ollivander measured her, he came back and gave her a wand. He said, " 11 and ½ inches, birch, with a unicorn hair. Mary flicked it and the chairs in the shop began to dance around the room. Everybody laughed and all the wands were paid for, and the group left the store. 

Everybody got their wands from Conor's mom and began to play with them. Everybody agreed that Conor's wand was the coolest looking, it was black and thin, with a gold ring at the base. They made sparks fly out of the end as well as other random occurrences. Once Ruthie waved hers and a tiger jumped from the end, it turned to look at them and all of the kids stood still with fear. It opened it's mouth and Mary whimpered with fear. But then it barked, and everybody began to laugh and then it melted away into a puddle of water, which they were all surprised at. After looking around at all of the stores they then moved to Madam Malkins Robe Shop. There, the kids were each fitted for robes. Maashes was the tallest and had to keep going up in sizes until he found ones that were not above his ankles. Everybody happily left the shop with several robes each. Conor's mom just kept puling gold out of her magically enlarged bag and handing it to vendors for their items. The last thing they needed, was more of a commodity really, were owls. Conor was allergic to birds, so he decided to go get ice cream with his mom while the rest shopped. Inside, Ruthie said, "Guys look at that one! She pointed at a beautiful barn own with hazel eyes. It blinked and looked at them. They moved around the store some more until Mary exclaimed, "Over there! That one is so cute!" She pointed to a small black owl, it hooted softly and clicked its beak. Then, finally Maashes wandered about and found a large eagle owl that he liked. He beckoned his friends over and said, "That one is awesome! Look at its beak, its so kick ass!" They all goggled at it and it ruffled its feathers and stared at them. Hurrying out of the store, they found Conor and his mom eating ice cream lazily at Fortescue's. After begging for ice cream themselves, they led her back to the store and purchased the three owls. Mary immediately named hers Harry, after the famous wizard who had defeated Lord Voldemort several years earlier. Ruthie named hers Thorn and Maashes named his Strix.

A few minutes later, the sun began to fall and the troupe became tired. Conor said, "Mom, I'm tired. I really need to go relax." Ruthie said, "Yeah, me too. This day has been so exciting, but I'm pretty worn out." The others nodded in agreement. Conor's mom took them back to the Leaky Cauldron where she got three rooms: One for Mary and Ruthie, one for herself, and one for Maashes and Conor. After Conor's mom gave brought each of them their trunks, wands, and owls, she went off to bed in her own room. As soon as Maashes brought Strix into the room Conor began to sneeze. He said, "Dude! Take that thing out!" Maashes walked downstairs and said to Strix, "Now you come back before tomorrow morning okay?" Strix looked at Maashes in a way that showed that he understood. Maashes opened the cage and Strix soared majestically out into the warm night. He closed the large cage and walked over to the bar, where Tom was snoring. He tapped on the counter gingerly but Tom jerked awake and smiled. He said, "What can I do for you son?" Maashes said, "My eagle owl, Strix is coming back sometime tonight. You will let him in, wont you?" Tom nodded and Maashes left the cage with him, he trooped back upstairs and to his room. He mumbled Conor a goodnight and then went to change into sleep clothes. After that, he returned and flopped onto the bed, the days excitements streaming out into his dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Many hours later, Maashes woke up and stretched in bed. He suddenly remembered the events from the night before and sat up excitedly. He saw his trunk at the foot of the bed and threw it open. He saw his wand, resting atop his robes and pulled it out. He sat back in bed and flicked it around. Sparks shot out in random directions and he laughed. It was definitely more fun to be a wizard than it was to go to elementary school. He suddenly had an idea. He got up slowly and sneaked over to Conor's bed. He decided to wake up Conor with a shower of sparks. Sniggering, he raised his wand and was about to flick it when their room burst open and Mary and Ruthie came running in. He was so surprised he brought his wand down too hard and the headboard on Conor's bed disappeared and his bed hit the floor with a loud bang. Amazingly, Conor continued to snore serenely. Maashes then turned to Ruthie and Mary, who were still in their pajamas. He said, "Thanks for scaring me guys! Now what's up?" Mary said, "We just wanted to say good morning really. Conor's mom says that she's going to take us flying today!" Maashes brightened at this news. He said, "Like in a plane?" Conor, who was finally waking up heard this comment and said groggily, "Are you a wizard or not? On broomsticks of course!" Maashes turned back to the two girls and said excitedly "When do we leave?" Ruthie said, "In a few minutes, you two better get dressed!" They left in a hurry and the two boys got dressed in jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes. They met the girls downstairs at a table where Ms. Scalf already sat, with a large plat of eggs and bacon in front of her. She waved her wand and several plates along with freshly toasted bread zoomed out from behind the bar and settled themselves on the table. She said, "Dig in guys. It's going to be a busy day." The others began to eat but Maashes said, "Hold on, I need to speak with Tom for a moment." He got up and went to the bar, without saying anything; Tom went to the back and brought back the large gold cage, where Strix slept peacefully, his head under his wing. Maashes took Strix, thanked Tom, and went back to the table to eat with his friends. 

Several sandwiches later, the kids and Ms.Scalf walked into the warm sun outside the Leaky Cauldron. She turned to them and said, "Do any of you like Quidditch?" Ruthie and Conor nodded and Mary and Maashes looked confused. Conor said, "Oh right. You two are Muggle-borns. You don't know what Quidditch is. I'll explain it. Two teams of 7 players on broomsticks. There are three chasers on each team. They handle a large red ball called the Quaffle. They try to throw it through one of three goal hoops that are at the other team's end of the field. There is one Keeper on each team. Their jobs are to defend the goal posts from the opposing chasers. Now there are two beaters on each team. They beat the bludgers, two black balls that fly around and try to knock players off of their brooms, back toward the other team. Now the last player, and possibly the most important is the Seeker." Ruthie cut in at this point to explain the Seeker's role. She said, "Now this person flies around high above the field and try to find and capture the smallest ball, the Golden Snitch. It's very fast and hard to see, but a good Seeker will be able to catch it quickly and when they do, their team usually wins because it nets the team an extra 150 points." Maashes and Mary were hanging onto every word that their two friends were saying. At the end, they said excitedly that they would love to see it played. So instead of going flying, the group decided to go and see a Quidditch game. 

They looked in the Daily Prophet for a game taking place in London and sure enough, there was a pickup game between the Holyhead Harpies and the Chudley Cannons going on in a field not far from Diagon Alley. Ms.Scalf said, "We can go to that one, but we have to leave now. I can't take you all by side along apparition so we'll have to use a Portkey. Looking around, they spotted an old tattered boot and went over to it. Ms.Scalf tapped the boot with her wand and it glowed bright blue and then faded. She said, "It leaves in about 20 seconds so everybody touch it. You only need one finger." In a circle, they touched the Portkey with one finger. Maashes was about to say how dumb he felt standing in a circle with a finger on an old boot when he felt a jerk behind his navel and began to spin. In a few seconds they came down on a field where stands were set up around 6 goal posts, three at each end of the field. Everybody except Ms.Scalf had fallen over on impact so they all got up, brushed themselves off and hurried to find good seats. Thankfully, they were a bit early and found seats high up, right where the action would be. Mary was about to ask when it would start when horns sounded and an announcer boomed, "Welcome fans, to the scrimmage match between the Holyhead Harpies and the Chudley Cannons! Now we have the players coming on the field. First out, the Cannons!" Maashes and Mary wowed as the players shot out of the orange column on the opposite side of the field and rose into the air, waving. The announcer listed out their names and then said, "Now the Harpies!" He listed most of their names out and then said, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannd Weasley!" This time it was Ms.Scalf, Conor, and Ruthie's turn to wow. They turned excitedly to the others and Conor said, "That last one, that's Ginny Weasley! She went to Hogwarts with Harry Potter!" Having heard the story of Harry Potter before, they all looked at Ginny excitedly as she made a lap around the field, her vivid red hair streaming out behind her. Then, the game began.

Maashes and Mary gasped as the Chasers began to fly faster than they had ever thought possible. They became no more than blurs as the passed the Quaffle from one to another. Soon, the Cannons had stolen the Quaffle and scored 10 points. Everybody oohed and aahed as the Harpies made more attempts at the Cannons and scored 30 points in a matter of a few minutes. Then, after the Harpies had scored another 30 points, making the game 60 to 10, something amazing happened. Maashes, who had been watching Ginny shouted as she began to streak towards the ground. The other Seeker had seen her go and rushed to catch up. Soon they were neck and neck, traveling so fast that some of the twigs on their brooms snapped off. Suddenly the crowd roared as a beater on the other team had smacked Ginny with a bludgers, knocking her off course. But that didn't deter her. She took off again, faster than before in pursuit of the other Seeker, who was stretching out his hand for the small golden ball in front of him. Just then, the crowd cheered as a bludgers from one of the Harpies beaters hit the opposing Seeker in the back of the head with a sick thud. He crumpled and fell off of his broom, rolling to a stop on the grass below. Suddenly, the stadium erupted in cheers; Ginny rose up into the air, with the tiny golden ball clutched firmly in her hands. Conor and his mother were jumping up and down, roaring in delight while Ruthie, Mary, and Maashes were cheering loudly and whistling. After the after-game celebration, the kids got to meet Ginny briefly (because Conor's mother was a Quidditch manager in the states) before she had to leave for her next match. She looked at them and gave them a bit of advice. She said, "You look like you all are first years. I want to tell you not to go looking for adventure at Hogwarts. Because guaranteed, it will find you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It began to get dark, so the kids found an old tire and Ms.Scalf turned it into a Portkey and they returned to Diagon Alley. They got some dinner at an old restaurant that had the most amazing fudge any of the kids had ever tasted. They then retuned to the Leaky Cauldron. Ruthie, Mary, Conor, and Maashes all sat together on the floor in the boys' room and talked. Ruthie said, "Guys can you believe that we are going to Hogwarts tomorrow?! This is possibly the greatest thing that's ever happened to me!" The others nodded in agreement and Maashes said, "I wonder what the teachers are like there. Conor did your Mom go to Hogwarts?" Conor shook his head. He said, "My grandparents did, but they moved to the U.S. because Lord Voldemort was killing people. They taught my mom themselves. She then later took an exam administered by the Ministry of Magic of the U.S.A and passed. So she was allowed to use magic anytime." They all nodded. Mary asked, "Aren't there magical academies in the U.S? I mean, why did we have to come all the way to Britain to go to school?" Conor said, "Well there is only one in the U.S. and it's in Los Angeles, California. It's called Zebulon Academy of Magic. And it only selects pure-blood students. I got a letter of acceptance there, but I decided I wanted to go to Hogwarts, and my Mom agreed. We're not into that whole 'pure-bloods are better' thing." The others nodded in agreement. Ruthie said, "We'll my grandparents were. When my Mom married my Dad they went crazy. They pretty much disowned her. It's a good thing my Dad had a good amount of Muggle money, or else they wouldn't have been able to support me. I'm half-blood, so my Dad is a muggle." The others again, nodded thoughtfully. Mary said, "Well me and Maashes are Muggle-borns. This is our first time hearing about magic. Frankly, it's a lot to take in." Conor said, "Yeah, it is. But you'll get used to it, don't worry." He then said, "You know, I wonder what house I'll be in." At the others' bewildered faces he said, "Oh, don't you know about the four Hogwarts houses? Well I'll explain. See there are four houses, each named after one of the four Hogwarts founders: Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Hufflepuffs are reputedly very nice and caring, while Gryffindors are brave and reckless. Ravenclaws are smart and scholarly, and Slytherins are generally defined as selfish, but strong." 

The other's, wowed at this news, fell into thought about what house they might be sorted into. No sooner had one been about to speak then Conor's mom stuck her head into the room. She said, "You all had better get some sleep. Tomorrow we have to get up early. Like you know, before 1:00." She looked at Conor when she said this and then withdrew. The girls bade the boys goodnight and left. Maashes and Conor changed and then lay down on the old creaky beds. Conor had had his repaired after that morning's events. After a few minutes of lying awake, Maashes whispered, "Conor, are you awake?" Conor whispered back, "No, I'm asleep. Of course I'm awake!" Maashes laughed silently and said, "So really, what house do you think you'll be in?" Conor rubbed his face in the dark and said, "Well I suppose I may be in Slytherin. I'm a little selfish but I won't turn out to be a Dark wizard, as they say Slytherins do. Maashes said, "Okay, I think I may be in Hufflepuff. I don't know though. Anything is good for me. I'm so excited! I can hardly slee…" But he had fallen to sleep in the middle of his sentence. Conor smiled at this and drifted off too. Wondering what lay ahead in a world of magic.

The next morning came quickly for the children. Ms.Scalf had them up at 9:30, which was early for Conor (he groaned when she entered the room), and down for breakfast at 10. While shoveling in sandwiches of sausages and cheese, the kids could talk of nothing but Hogwarts. Ruthie said through a mouthful of bread, "I really hope I can be Seeker on whatever house team I'm on." The others thought for a moment about this statement and then Maashes said, "Didn't the letter say that first years weren't allowed their own brooms? So how would you play on the House team without a broom?" Ruthie's face fell. She said, "I didn't think about that. I guess I'll have to wait until second year." The others comforted her a bit and then Ms.Scalf said, "Ah look at the time! Its 10:30 we have to get to Kings Cross! Hurry now guys, we don't want to be late!" They all jumped up and followed Ms.Scalf outside of the door. She said, "I'm going to have to use another Portkey to get us near to King's Cross. We can't just land in the station because there are Muggles in there." They then set out to look for a Portkey. Soon, they came upon discarded dustbin lid. Ms.Scalf tapped it with her wand and it glowed blue and rattled. They all put a finger on it and soon felt the telltale jerk behind their navels. A few seconds later, they came down in a back alley behind an enormous building. Ms.Scalf said, "Well, we're here. Kings Cross Station." 

They hurried inside and got carts. Then, Ms.Scalf reached into her handbag and pulled out their trunks, owls, and wands. She said, "These trunks have the featherweight charm cast on them. They will be very light until you get on the train. Now here are your wands, no casting until you get to class!" Once everybody's carts were laden with trunks, owls, and other baggage (Ruthie and Mary had brought extra duffel bags for extra shoes) they wheeled them around, looking for Platform 9 3/4. Ms.Scalf didn't know where it was either, and it was 10:45, only 15 minutes until the train left. They group began to panic. Maashes knew it was somewhere between platforms 9 and 10. So he went to the column in between them and leaned on it to rest. Suddenly he fell backward through it and stood transfixed. A gleaming red steam engine with 'Hogwarts Express' in gold lettering on the side stood in front of him. Many families were helping kids into the train with trunks and cages, not unlike his friends and he. Running back through the barrier, he went to Ms.Scalf and his friends. He said, "Guys! I know how to get the Platform 9 ¾! You have to go through the column between 9 and 10!" They all looked at him quizzically but Ms.Scalf said, "It's the only lead we've got and its 10:55. So lets hurry!" Everybody grabbed their carts and ran toward the barrier. One by one they melted through onto the new platform. Everbody gasped and Mary said, "Oh My God!" and marveled at the train. The train began to blow steam and the friends hurried aboard, with Ms.Scalf easily tossing their trunks to them. Now that they were all on board, Ms.Scalf stepped back and waved to them. Conor called, "Bye Mom! Thanks for everything. Love you!" She called back, "Love you too! Love all of you and see you soon!" over the roar of the trains engines. It began to slowly move out of the station, puffing great clouds of white out of the top. Other kids on the train waved to their parents as the train picked up speed, and moved out of the station. Once Platform 9 ¾ was out of view, the friends moved along the train (laboring with their trunks now, as the charm had worn off) until they found an empty compartment. They shoved the trunks under their seats and flopped down. Maashes said, "Can you believe it guys? We're actually on our way to Hogwarts!" The others all seemed to be excited. They were going to a place of magic, wonder, and adventure. An experience that would be like none other.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A few hours later, the friends got an unpleasant visit. A slightly muscular boy with white-blond hair, a pointed nose and electric blue eyes stuck his head in and said, "I heard that there was a pure-blood in here. I've got a club, you want to join?" He looked around and saw Conor. Conor said, "I'm pure-blood yeah. My surname is Scalf." The boy's eyes widened and said, "I've heard of your family! Very rich! Let me introduce myself, I'm Connor O'Neil." Everybody made noncommittal waves and looked away. Conor said, "My name is Conor as well, but I'm not going to join your 'pure-blood' club. My friends are right here. And one is half-blood, and those two (he gestured to Maashes and Mary) are Muggle-borns." Connor O'Neil sneered and said, "Well Scalf, I thought somebody with blood like yours would be better off, but go on hanging out with your half-breed and Mudblood friends. Also, we'll be arriving soon, you'd better change. Not like you Mudbloods are fit to wear robes." Then he turned on his heel and let the compartment door slam behind him. Everybody looked up at Conor who was still standing. Ruthie said, "Thanks for standing up for us Conor." He nodded and sat back down. Conor looked troubled so Mary asked him, "What's wrong?" He said, "That O'Neil called you two Mudbloods. That's an incredibly derogatory term towards Muggle-borns." Maashes and Mary's eyes widened. Maashes said, "Just wait until we get to Hogwarts. We'll hex him!" Everybody laughed at this and then began to change into their school robes. They felt the train slowing down as the reached the station. 

In minutes, the train had stopped and hundreds of students were milling about in the corridors and then onto the platform. Since they were shorter than everybody else, they got shoved and moved about at will. Conor was knocked over by a fifth year boy carrying a broomstick and lost his glasses. Everybody laughed at him besides his friends and they went on a search. Soon they found them, broken at the bridge and bent. He said, "Oh man…" Suddenly, their salvation came when a booming voice said, "Firs' years! Firs' years this way! Com' on now! Up ya go." A huge man with a bushy black beard and wild hair had waded toward them in the crowd. He was twice as tall as anybody the friends had ever seen, and about three times as wide. When he spotted them he said, "By the looks on yer' faces, I'd guess yer firs' years. Come on." He pushed them along with a hand the size of several dinner plates and into a crowd of other first years. They moved up and stood next to Ross, who was shaking a little. Mary said, "Ross! Hey, what's up?" Ross said, "Look, we're going in boats! I'm afraid of boats!" Sure enough, the huge man was shepherding the first years into small boats. Mary, Ruthie, and Ross got into one boat while Conor, Maashes, and the large man got into the last one. When everybody was settled in, the man pushed off and all of the boats began their journey across the black lake. Maashes poked the huge man and he turned around. Cowering in fear, Maashes asked, "Are you a giant?" The man laughed and several people twitched in fear. He said, "No, I'm 'alf giant. Name's Rubeus Hagrid. I'm Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. What's yours?" Maashes, realizing Hagrid was nice became a little braver. He said, "I'm Maashes Phillips, and my friend here is Conor Scalf." Conor waved at Hagrid. Hagrid said, "I've heard of the Scalfs. One of the best pure-blood families around, happy ter see yer at Hogwarts." Conor nodded thanks just as the boats bumped into the opposite shore. He heard a collective gasp from the others as they glimpsed Hogwarts for the first time. It was enormous, a majestic castle high on a hill with sweeping grounds.

After stepping out of the boats, Maashes and Conor found Ruthie, Mary, and Ross and joined them as the crowd of first years walked up to the enormous front doors. They all had to crane their heads back as the castle loomed high above them. Hagrid pushed the great front doors open and an older woman with an intense face and with her hair in a tight bun stood waiting. Hagrid said, "The firs' years Headmistress McGonagall." The woman nodded and motioned for the first years to come inside. She led them into a small room and they all crowded around her, very fearful. She said, "Welcome first years to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In a moment we will enter the Great Hall and you will be sorted into one of the four houses; Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw." They all stared at her, mortified. She said, "Now I want all of you to form a line, quietly." They all formed up behind her as the walked forward. Then the pushed open two enormous doors in front of them. Everybody gasped as the scene unfolded. It was a huge room with a high ceiling. Candles floated overhead and burned merrily. There were four long tables where students sat. On the tables, gold plates glittered in the dancing light. At the head of the room, there was a long table where Maashes could only assume that the staff sat. There was large high backed chair in the middle where he thought that McGonagall might sit. Suddenly the hall became hushed as McGonagall walked forward with an old tattered black hat and a spindly three-legged stool. She also had a large roll of parchment in front of her. She then set the hat down on the stool. Some Ruthie screamed as the hat's brim tore open and it suddenly began to sing:

A long time ago

Farther back than any can go

There lived four great founders

Gryffindor, was brave and rash

Hufflepuff was kind and lush

Ravenclaw was smart and good at her craft

While dark Slytherin was sly and oft times daft

They used me, on those who were small

But now its your turn, so smile for us all!

The hat finished its song and everybody in the room clapped loudly. McGonagall raised the list and the Great Hall descended into a hush. After a few names she called, "Dunn, Ruth!" and Ruthie scurried forward and sat on the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on her head and it dropped below her nose. The hat said in her ear, "Hmm…A kind heart, and caring for others. This isn't a hard decision." Suddenly it boomed, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The table where the students had yellow trimming on their robes and tablecloth erupted in cheers. Ruthie positively ran over and sat down with them. A few names later, McGonagall called, "Houston, Mary!" Mary tripped forward and sat atop the spindly stool. Her feet did not even reach the ground. McGonagall dropped the hat onto her head and it slipped down to her chin. It whispered in her ear, "Ahh…a brave heart but a penchant for following rules. Good for you…better be-" It shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" The table with red and gold linings clapped loudly and a few whistled as Mary trotted over and sat amond them. After more names, McGonagall boomed, "Lamason, Rosser!" Ross walked up and sat down on the stool, it creaked slightly under his weight. No sooner had the hat touched his head than it screamed, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Ruthie jumped up and cheered with the Hufflepuffs as Ross walked over and sat down. After Lee, Camelia and Mayse, Charles were sorted into Ravenclaw and Gryffindor respectively, McGonagall yelled, "Phillips, Maashes!" Maashes ran fearfully forward and perched atop the stool. McGonagall dropped that hat onto his head and it said into his ear, "I see…Hmm…A great wit, and good studying to boot. I know where you'll fit in best…" It then roared, "RAVENCLAW!" the table at the far end, with blue and sliver linings burst into applause. Maashes stumbled over and sat among them, grinning at all the pats on his back. Then, finally McGonagall called, "Scalf, Conor!" Conor walked calmly forward and sat down on the stool. Once the hat was on his head it whispered, "Strength becomes you…And a bit of arrogance never hurt. A pure-blood too, its east to see where to put you…" It then screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" and the table with green lining burst into applause. Even Connor O'Neil was clapping lazily along with the others as Conor sat down at grinned up at the Slytherins. McGonagall then sorted, Zacarias, Jeremy, She rolled up the list and walked back to the center of the staff table. The four friends found each other's eyes through the sea of students and grinned at each other, their adventure had just begun.


End file.
